This invention relates to a protective cowling arrangement for outboard motors and more particularly to an improved, simplified and easy to assemble protective cowling arrangement for outboard motors.
In most outboard motors, the power head, which is supported at the upper end of the drive shaft housing, includes an internal combustion engine which is supported at the upper end of the drive shaft housing and a protective cowling which encircles the engine and the upper portion of the drive shaft housing so as to provide a protective enclosure for the engine and to seal in areas where water might enter into the power head and damage the outboard motor. The protective cowling generally is comprised of a tray which underlies the engine and which is normally attached directly to the drive shaft housing. Affixed to the tray is a main cover portion which overlies and surrounds the major portion of the engine and which is detachably connected and sealed to the tray. In addition, the protective cowling normally includes a skirt which depends from the tray and which surrounds the upper portion of the drive shaft housing and is intended to provide a seal in this lower area to prevent water from traveling upwardly into the tray. With the prior art constructions of this type, the skirt has been attached directly to the tray and in an area adjacent where the engine is supported on the drive shaft housing. As a result, the fasteners which secure the elements relative to each other normally include threaded fasteners which enter into the tray from below and which are encircled by the skirt. This type of arrangement makes assembly quite difficult and also offers considerable problems in connection with the servicing of the engine. As a result, it is difficult to remove the protective cowling assembly during servicing and also to reinstall it.
It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide an improved protective cowling arrangement for an outboard motor.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved arrangement for securing the skirt of the protective cowling to the other components.